Ball wound method for laying wire



De@ 6, 1949 E. D. CUNNINGHAM, JR 2,490,032

BALL WOUND METHOD FOR LAYING WIRE Filed May 24, 1944 ,ni111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 .l

EoHu/va 0. OUA/A/f/vG/M/z de Patented Dec. 6, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30,1928; 370 0. G. 757) 4 Claims.

The invention described herein may be manuiactured and used by or forthe Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me ofany royalty thereon.

This invention relates to improvements in devices and methods for layingwire.

In the mountains it has been found impossible to lay wire in deep snowby means of vehicles, animals, skiers or snowshoers because of theWeight of the wire, reel and reel holder. The snow is often so deep thateven a skier has difficulty, and with a breast reel it is practicallyimpossible to lay wire.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide an arrangementand method of laying wire without requiring the use of reels and reelholders.

A further object is the provision of a method enabling the laying ofWire by means of an alrplane, skiers, animals. over terrain of any type.

These and other objects are attained by the novel arrangements andmethods hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part hereof, and in which:

Fig. l is a view showing the laying of wire by means of an airplane.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view, partly in section showing a wound ball ofwire positioned in a box.

In accordance with the invention. the wire is Wound in to a ball 3 (seeFig. 2), in the manner in which cord and rope are wound, the wire beingpaid out from the center of the ball without causing rotation of theball. The ball 3 is placed in a box 4 or other container having anaperture 5 through which the wire passes. With this arrangement no reelor reel holder is required.

In Fig. 1 is shown wire being laid from an airplane I. The ball of wireis carried in a container in the airplane, one end of the Wire beingsecured to a stake or other article on the ground at 2. With a planetraveling at 60 miles per hour, it has been possible to lay five milesof Wire in five minutes. Obviously, the wire can be laid satisfactorilyfrom the airplane regardless of the nature of the terrain.

Similarly, the wire can be laid from land vehicles, from the backs ofanimals or by skiers and snow shoers.

From the above description it will be seen that there has been provideda simple and effective method and arrangement for laying Wire overterrain of any kind, without requiring the use of reels and reelholders.

The invention having been described, what is claimed is:

l. The method of laying wire comprising winding wire into a ball havinga central opening ex tending through the exterior thereof, mounting theball on an airplane, and paying out the wire from the center of the ballthrough the opening outside the plane while the plane is in night.

2. The method of laying wire on the ground, comprising winding wire intoa ball, mounting said ball in an airplane and paying out wire from thecenter of said wound ball while said airplane is in flight.

3. The method of laying wire on the ground from a plane in ight from aball of Wire having a central opening having one end of the wiretherein, comprising paying out the Wire from that end outside the plane.

4. The method of laying wire on the ground comprising winding Wire so asto form a ball having an opening therein communicating with itsexterior, freely mounting the ball on a plane, and paying the wireoutside the plane through the opening starting at the inner end of thewire while the plane is in flight.

EDMUND D. CUNNINGHAM, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 9,605 Palmer Mar. 15, 18811,017,745 Glerum Feb. 20, 1912 1,541,683 Buehler June 9, 1925 2,203,435Kempe June 4. 1940

